


The Fallen (See Last Chapter!!!)

by MoWolf



Series: Only a Little Broken [1]
Category: We Happy Few (Video Game)
Genre: Arthur's convinced the world is out to get him, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, PTSD, Will add tags as needed/desired, and he's not entirely wrong, lots of hurt first though, potentially triggering content, unintentional human pet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-07-03 15:35:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15821826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoWolf/pseuds/MoWolf
Summary: This is being completely rewritten! I liked the title too much, so the updated version is now going to be "How to Train Your Downer" and there's a link in the final chapter! THIS version will no longer be updated, but will be left up for those who enjoyed it (and so I can easily vandalize the original chapters as needed).After being cornered by a group of Joy Doctors, Arthur didn't expect to wake up. Instead, he's taken in as a social experiment and lab rat for study. After all, downers can't be happy yet Arthur has somehow convinced the entire Parade District that he's been on Joy the whole time even though he hasn't touched the stuff for well over a year.Meanwhile, Arthur's assigned caretakers - Constable Davies and Dr. Green - are determined to make him a productive member of society, with or without Joy. Or, at the very least, get him to behave long enough that he can't leave.





	1. Heck

**Author's Note:**

> This is largely self-indulgent. I had an idea and I'm running with it! If you enjoy it, please leave a like or a comment. What to see something specific, or maybe you have a character that's you'd like to see? Leave a comment and I'll see what I can do!

Arthur woke up to brightly colored walls and a sharp pain with every breath. Actually, his whole body hurt, and the moment he tried to move his ribs reminded him that he’d been beaten half to death not long ago.

Speaking of which, how long had he been out? He relaxed into the mattress as he tried to sort out the most recent events. He’d been running from a doctor, he remembered that. The doctor had recognized him despite the cheerful greeting and bounce in his step. Next thing he knew, a group of doctors and bobbies were all after him and he’d… what? What happened next?

They’d caught him. That much was obvious. But how? He couldn’t remember. Had they given him Joy? Or did he just have a concussion? He didn’t feel particularly happy, so maybe he hadn’t been pumped full of drugs. So that left brain damage.

Wonderful.

With a small sigh, Arthur closed his eyes and tried to relax. He clearly wasn’t in any immediate danger, and his rescuer(s?) would want him to heal as quickly as possible. Best to get some rest now and worry about everything later.

\---

It was several hours before Arthur woke up again. He knew that from the light now streaming through the window. It was nice, and reminded him of a better time. Breathing still hurt, but the rest of his body was beginning to remember the beating and now he felt like he’d been run over by a train.

And he was still alone.

The longer he waited, the greater the risk of getting caught. Still, he couldn’t just leave. Not out of politeness or any sense of gratitude. Just trying to move caused shooting pains and he was pretty sure a few ribs were broken.

Actually, he should probably start with a basic self-assessment to see just how bad the damage was. That made much more sense. First things first, what hurt?

His ribs, obviously. The left side hurt worse and Arthur vaguely recalled someone stepping on him. The worst of the pain seemed to be when he was inhaling. Collapsed lung, possibly? Or just bruised muscles protesting any kind of movement?

Then there were his arms. His right shoulder ached in a “hit the ground and skidded” kind of way. His left, however… He couldn’t move his shoulder without an intense pain and a quick palpation revealed swelling and yet more pain. Dislocated? If so, it appeared to have been put back in place (rather roughly at that). At least it wasn’t all bad.

The rest of his pain seemed to be from blunt damage, and even that was localized to his left side around his waist and hip. Not nearly as bad as he had predicted. He’d anticipated deep cuts and even an amputation. If bruising was the worst he had to deal with, then he’d be fine. In fact, he should be able to leave right now!

Never had Arthur been so wrong.

Getting himself into a vaguely sitting position was absolutely torture. He could only put weight on one arm while the other was (thankfully) carefully bandaged into a sling against his chest. With only one arm, though, it meant he had to use mostly core muscles to get upright, which in turn pulled on his chest and ribs.

It took entirely too long, but Arthur finally managed to sit up and gently swing his legs over the edge of the bed. He took a few minutes just to breathe before he finally stood up-

And immediately went down. There was something wrong with his hip and the moment he put weight on it, a sharp pain shot down his leg and it gave out, sending him crashing to the floor on his bad shoulder. His vision sparked and he found himself screaming and clawing at his shoulder as if he could rip the pain out if he just dug his fingers in far enough.

The door slammed open and suddenly a constable and a doctor were crouched over him, talking to each other. Arthur only caught snippets of their conversation, though, as his pain turned to panic and he tried to get away despite the hurt.

“Hold him down!”

“When did he-”

“-medicine, quick!”

“Shouldn’t even be awake!”

“Not too much!”

The constable grabbed Arthur and roughly flipped him onto his back. He wheezed, though whether out of pain or panic he couldn’t tell, and jerked his head away. Next thing he knew, his jaw was grabbed and forced open while the constable’s other hand shoved his bad shoulder into the carpet. Arthur howled and jerked but the hands held firm.

There was a clack of metal against teeth and Arthur shuddered at the sound, only to gag and spit when the thick sludge hit his tongue. It was like an awful combination of yogurt and gasoline, made infinitely worse when his jaw was released only to be forced and held shut.

Doing his best to scream through his nose, Arthur clawed at the constable’s arm and kicked with his (mostly) good leg. No amount of squirming and writhing would get him loose and the two men were determined to get him to swallow despite his protests.

“The sooner you swallow, the sooner you’ll feel better,” the doctor said, leaning back on his heels to watch Arthur more easily.

The bobby simply grunted when Arthur managed to scratch his mouth. “I still say he- akpth!” He bit Arthur’s fingers gently and they quickly retreated to claw at the hand over his mouth. “His breathing’s getting bad.”

“Yes, well, that’s his own fault now, isn’t it?” the doctor said casually. “No idea why they want to keep him off Joy. Maybe Verloc has something planned for him? There we go!” His voice pitched up as Arthur gave one final attempt to shove the officer off before finally swallowing. “That’s a good lad!”

Arthur gave a weak growl at the baby talk but quickly went quiet quiet. His throat hurt from yelling and he just wanted to wash the awful taste out of his mouth. Already his body was beginning to reject the medicine (if he could even call it that, good lord the stuff was awful). Maybe they’d have mercy and leave him alone to his suffering.

Surprisingly, the bobby got up and carefully lifted Arthur off the floor. He was too sore and tired to fight by then so he allowed himself to ragdoll in the man’s arms. Nothing really mattered anymore. He was trapped with the two worst possible people to be captured by and was completely at their mercy. Maybe they’d feel sorry and put him out of his misery quickly, though from what he’d overheard that was unlikely.

And then he was being settled back in the bed. An extra pillow was tucked under his shoulders to keep him somewhat elevated and help him breathe easier and the blanket draped over him before the two men stepped away. Arthur watched them cautiously as they held a whispered conversation before they left. The doctor returned a few minutes later with a chair and a radio, both of which he set up next to the bed.

For twenty minutes Arthur glared while the doctor simply sat and smiled at him pleasantly. The radio played soothing music in the background. Eventually, though, his body decided that sleep was more important than the impending doom sitting nearby and, despite his best efforts to stay awake, he found himself relaxing into the bed and finally nodding off completely.


	2. Regret X2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur finally bites off a bit more than he can chew and Dr. Green decides to teach him a lesson.
> 
> Please see the notes below for the trigger warning!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING! Near the end of the chapter, Arthur gets a pretty hefty beating. The actions described may be triggering, but I'm more worried about the fact that Dr Green says some things that I know can be triggering for anyone who's gone through heavy abuse. It starts when he says, "Why can't you behave?" and goes through to the end of the chapter. Also, swearing.
> 
> The next story chapter will be easier and mostly involves Green and Davies figuring out what will and won't work in regards to getting the desired responses from Arthur. That said, the next chapter will likely be some fun facts on the three while I try to get ahead with writing.

The next morning, Arthur woke up to strong hands hauling him upright roughly. It was the worst possible way to wake up and Arthur yelped as pain shot through every bruise and broken bone in his body. With a yell, he jerked himself forward, which seemed to catch the hands off guard because they let go and he slammed his head into something hard which pulled away with a sharp, “Aaah FUCK!”

“Language!”

“He headbutted me!”

There was a laugh from behind and Arthur growled as he was grabbed again and pulled back. “Pretty impressive if you ask me.”

“Well I’m not asking.” There was a huff before the man in front leaned close enough that Arthur was able to recognize him as the doctor from the previous night. “Now look here,” the doctor said, grabbing Arthur’s chin in a tight grip, “you’re going to relax and let us take care of you and that will be that.”

“You’re living with us now,” the bobby said cheerfully, “so don’t bother complaining about it. Besides, the sooner you let it happen, the faster you’ll heal up and the sooner the good doctor can start working with you.”

Arthur didn’t even bother thinking the offer over. He spat on the doctor’s face and snarled, “Make me!”

The doctor gave Arthur’s head a hard shake and then let go. “Make sure you hold him securely, constable,” he said as he grabbed the medicine bottle off the bedside table. Arthur blinked in surprise. When had that gotten there? He didn’t get to think about for long, though. The bobby pulled him closer and wrapped one hand around his chest while the other tilted his head back and pried his mouth open again.

Oh.

Oh no! No no, not this again. No way was Arthur letting that sludge back in his mouth. He didn’t care how much he hurt, he would rather take the pain than taste that hellish concoction again! He squirmed, kicked, yelled, and pressed himself as far back into the bobby as he could as the doctor leaned in close.

The spoon didn’t scrape against his teeth, this time, but the bobby didn’t close his mouth in time, either. The hand clamped over his mouth just in time for Arthur to spit, resulting in a slimy coating between his face and the officer’s hand and an exasperated “Oh good lord!”

As soon as the bobby pulled away, Arthur let out a triumphant laugh and immediately regretted it when the spoon was jammed back into his mouth. Only this time the doctor didn’t pull it out, but pushed further and dumped. It was far enough back that Arthur choked and swallowed without thinking and the doctor smirked.

“There we go. Much better than last time,” The doctor said cheerfully as he set the bottle and spoon to the side. He gave Arthur a friendly pat on the cheek and then set about cleaning up the mess. Arthur snapped at the doctor’s fingers only to have his head grabbed forcefully and given another hard shake. “Bad! We do not bite!” Arthur snarled but was unable to move until the doctor finished wiping his face and finally let go.

Once finished, the bobby took some time to get Arthur carefully settled back on the bed while the doctor rubbed his face. “He’s fine, Davies. Give him some space before he takes your fingers off. Maybe he won’t fight back as hard tomorrow.”

Arthur growled at them until he heard the door shut. Only when he was absolutely certain that they weren’t immediately coming back did he finally relax into the bed and close his eyes. The medicine was drugged to make him sleep, he was certain. Better to sleep with the knowledge that he wasn’t in any immediate danger.

\---(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧---

A week had passed since Arthur had first woken up in the doctor’s home. Medicating him during the day was easy. He was already drugged out of his mind and too tired or medically high to do much beyond ramble at the two men. Mornings, however, were a fight from start to finish. Arthur had gotten very clever as spitting and biting and already constable Davies was beginning to collect a rather impressive collection of bite marks on his hands. Even so, neither men were willing to stay up all night to make sure that the medication never wore off.

This particular morning was no different. Arthur spat and screamed while Constable Davies tried to hold him still and Doctor Green did his best to get Arthur to actually swallow for a change instead of making a mess over himself and the bed. In a fit of frustration, Green had stormed out of the room and returned with a syringe without a needle.

“Since you insist on being difficult, let’s try something different,” he snapped. Arthur yelped as as the syringe was jammed into his mouth and he bit down hard. “Don’t bother,” the doctor said, his frustration already beginning to ease off. Now that Arthur had something else to chew on, he didn’t have to worry as much about risking his own fingers to get the job done. “Now, let’s just get this over with-”

Green didn’t get to finish. Arthur gave a sharp jerk of his head and snapped his jaws open and shut. There was a sharp crack and suddenly Arthur was yelling in surprise as he spat out a mixture of medicine, glass, and blood.

Green was stunned. The glass of the syringe was thick. It took effort and determination to break one of those and he’d never run across someone who could consciously break one. Then again, this was Arthur, rather famous among the doctors for his willingness to do anything necessary to escape.

Even so…

“Oh for the love of- Davies, hold his mouth open!” The doctor pulled a pair on long-nose pliers out of his jacket pocket and silent praised himself for accidentally sticking them there. A part of him felt bad for Arthur, who now clawed desperately at the bobby’s hands which held his mouth open uncomfortably wide. The rest of him was beyond done with the whole mess.

Thankfully, there wasn’t much left to pick out. A couple of pieces had managed to lodge themselves into Arthur’s gums and Green took pleasure in each yelp and whimper as he jerked them out. Once he finished, he pushed himself up and sighed. “You really aren’t going to behave, are you?”

Davies’ brows shot up at the doctor’s tone and even Arthur stilled in confusion. “Sir?”

The doctor shut him down with a quick wave of his hand and said, “Shouldn’t you be leaving for patrol? Wouldn’t want to be late. Again.”

Davies considered for a moment before nodding and lett Arthur go. “If you’ve got everything under control-”

“I always do.”

“-Then I suppose there’s nothing more for me to do here.” He tipped his head and he stood up and then left the room.

The doctor waited until he heard the front door shut before he rounded on Arthur with a snarl. “Why can’t you behave?” He roared, grabbing Arthur’s shirt and yanking him forward. Arthur yelped in protest and was about to retort when the doctor shoved him on to his back. “All you had to do,” the doctor continued, Grabbing Arthur’s hips and digging his fingers into the joints as hard as he could, “was _listen_ to me!”

Arthur howled as white spots danced across his vision. He’d forgotten just how bad his hip hurt and having someone actively trying to hurt him only made the pain worse. As the doctor refused to let up, he twisted sharply to free himself and flopped onto his stomach with a wheeze. He didn’t get a chance to recover as the doctor yanked him back and climbed into the bed.

“You brought this on yourself!” The doctor spat, grabbing Arthur’s left arm and pulling it back sharply. Arthur shrieked as his shoulder threatened to pop out of its socket again and did his best to angle his shoulders to ease the pain. The doctor only followed the motion and laughed. After a moment of twisting, he finally eased Arthur’s arm back to the bed.

Arthur gasped into the mattress as the pressure from his arm finally let up. Once the doctor let go, he started to crawl forward only to have his grabbed and yanked back. Green leaned down and asked, “Are you ready to behave?”

He really should have agreed. Instead, the adrenaline rush and panic mixed together in a seething mess of fear and rage and Arthur spat, “Make me!” He recognized his mistake the second the words left his mouth, but it didn’t really sink in under the doctor sat back and laughed.

“If you insist.”

Arthur squeaked in fear as he left arm was grabbed again and lifted slowly. His shoulder protested as it rotated and he couldn’t decide which was worse: having his arm yanked back and up suddenly or twisted slowly so that he could feel the pain growing with each second. Just when the pain was getting bad enough to make him whimper, the doctor stopped twisting and leaned down.

“You were assigned to me. Do you know what that means?” Arthur angled his head to look as far over his shoulder as he could and gave a small shake. “It means…” There was a sharp twist and Arthur shrieked as his shoulder popped, “I can do whatever I want provided you don’t die.” Green let go and watched passively as Arthur’s arm flopped onto the bed. For a moment he listened to Arthur scream before he finally slid off the bed with a sigh.

“Shut.” He flipped Arthur over easily and yanked him down until hips were only barely on the bed. “Up.” He pressed his right hand over Arthur’s mouth to muffle the noise. Arthur didn’t stop, but the noise level was bearable now. “You’re in _my_ house now. When I say ‘jump’ you say ‘how high’.” Arthur shook his head and clawed at the hand that blocked his airways. “And when I tell you take your medicine, _you take you’re goddamn medicine_.” He emphasized each work with a hard shake before he finally pulled his hand away.

Arthur gasped and wheezed for a moment before he started to squirm away. Once again, he didn’t far before the doctor pulled back and slammed a fist down on Arthur’s chest. He exhaled sharply at the contact only to have the doctor grab his throat and press, preventing him from inhaling.

For a moment he was too stunned to do anything. Was this really happening? Was this how he died? No! He wasn’t ready to go yet! He gurgled and clawed desperately at the doctor’s sleeves as his feet sought traction against anything. Suddenly, the doctor let go and he inhaled as hard as he could, triggering a coughing fit.

“Let’s try this again,” the doctor said calmly as he tilted Arthur chin down to make eye contact. “Are you ready to behave?” Arthur did his best to nod in the iron grip and the doctor smiled. “There we go, that wasn’t so bad, was it? I knew you’d come around.” He patted Arthur on the cheek before he stepped away and left the room.

Arthur slid down to the floor and leaned against the bed until the door clicked shut. Safe at last, he leaned over until gravity took over and he fell onto the carpet. He had to move slowly and stop repeatedly to catch his breath, but he managed to worm his way under the bed. With a small sob, he curled into a protective ball. He cradled his dislocated arm against his chest while his right muffled his sobs for fear that the doctor might hear and come back angrier than before.

He couldn’t breathe, everything hurt, and the new pain stacked onto the old with nothing to even dilute it. All in all, Arthur decided that this ranked as, quite possibly, the worst day of his life. Even worse, there was no telling when the doctor would decide to come back and finish the job. With that thought, he sobbed and wheezed until the adrenaline crash pulled him into a fitful sleep.


	3. Fun Facts!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some fun facts about the boys and some plans!

This chapter is short because it's not actually a chapter. While I was writing, I realized that there were some things that I wanted to say but had no way of introducing to the story for one reason or another. As such, I'm compiled some fun facts on each of the characters! I might also come back with some character sketches to give an idea of what everyone looks like, but who knows.

I also wanted to add a quick note before moving forward. A lot of what I want to cover actually happens much later in the timeline. Arthur started this story _very_ badly hurt. This means he's got to have some pretty strict bed rest and lack of movement to heal properly, and he needs this for a good couple of months straight. While only a couple of weeks have passed so far, I'm going to initiate a massive time time either in the next chapter or between chapters 3 and 4. So this is a heads up not to be too surprised when it happens. Otherwise, we'll end up with 30 chapters of Arthur rolling around in bed and complaining.

Now, on to the good stuff!

**Arthur:**

Arthur started this story with the following damage:  
3 broken ribs (left)  
4 more cracked ribs (left)  
2 bruised ribs (right)  
Cracked sternum  
Fractured hip and femur (left)  
Dislocated shoulder (left)  
Deep bruises all over

 

Arthur is 50% sass and 40% lack of impulse control. The remaining 10% is probably confusion and unbridled rage, but no one’s figured out how to measure that yet.

Due to having taken Joy for so long, Arthur actually never got a chance to mature properly. Now that he’s been off Joy for over a year, he’s trying to find a balance between his youthful impulsiveness and tendency for trouble and his paranoia and need for maturity. That said, his long term abuse of Joy has also resulted in difficulty remembering things which often results in frustration and moderate learning difficulties.

Arthur might as well be a cat because of how he oscillates wildly between being incredibly graceful and three steps ahead of everyone and tripping over his own feet when he tries to walk and think at the same time.

 

**Doctor Green:**

Green’s first name is David but he never uses it.

Green has a short temper when he’s on Joy. He’s also sadistic and takes pleasure in taking apart living specimens. No one thinks about what he used to be like before Joy. It’s probably best not to…

Green is about 3 inches taller than Arthur, but because of his poor posture he appears to be about the same height. Davies, on the other hand, is tall enough to rest his chin comfortably on Green’s head and he takes the opportunity to do so whenever he can.

Green likes cats because they leave him alone and can take care of themselves. He likes Davies because their personalities compliment each other perfectly. (Also, Davies is an ass, but he's Green's ass and he wouldn't have it any other way.)

 

**Constable Davies:**

Davies’ first name isn’t important. Don’t think about it too hard and everything will be fine.

Davies has the patience of a saint. It part of the reason he was chosen to keep an eye on Arthur. He was the least likely to break every bone in the lad’s body. The other reason is because he’s surprisingly smart and always seems to be two steps ahead of everyone. He’ll figure out some way to keep Arthur within Wellington Wells long enough for the rest of the Joy doctors to study him and possibly use him to come with a Joy alternative for the populace.

Everyone likes Davies. Everyone. He has eyes and ears everywhere and most of the Parade District will obey him without question. He’s very good at manipulation and getting what he wants from people without using force.

Green and Davies claim they’re in a relationship, but they’re actually not. They’re in a very intimate friendship; closer than friends but definitely not lovers.

Davies likes Arthur because he small and vulnerable, and Davies likes things that are small and vulnerable. Arthur also proves an interesting puzzle because he's a downer who doesn't behave like one in public.

 

**Extra:**

The medicine Arthur takes is some unholy concoction of opioids, muscle relaxant, swelling reducer, and various vitamins and plants that supposedly promote healing of the body. It tastes vile and causes mild paralysis to prevent him from moving around too much. Extra care has to be taken not to overdose him, however, as too much will cause breathing difficulties, temporary extended comatose state (think several days), and even death by either asphyxiation (from spontaneous apnea) or heart failure. Because of these dangers, someone has to keep an eye on Arthur whenever he's sleeping off the medication to make sure he doesn't just stop breathing.

The medicine is pink. Like, sickeningly, shockingly pink. Pretty sure it's the pinkest thing around. Because of how pink this shit is, Arthur can taste the medicine any time he looks at anything that's bright pink.

The medicine was actually made by Sally Boyle as a favor for the bobbies. She doesn't know what it's for, though. She just knows that it has to help heal and reduce significant pain without including _any_ joy.

So far, only the bobbies and the Joy doctors know about Arthur. As such, they tend to drop by while he's too drugged to care. The Joy doctors tend to copy Green's notes and check on Arthur's healing progress while the officers just like to chat with Davies while he keeps an eye on "everyone's favorite downer" (and laugh at Arthur's babbling when he's particularly high).


	4. In Which Chocolate Doesn't Make Everything Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Green and Davies have a talk. Afterward, Arthur has a Very Bad Time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few people have asked me for longer chapters. At this particular point in time, the chapters are going to stay short for two reasons:  
> 1) There's not a whole lot actively going. I could try to stretch the chapters out, but then they get clunky and confusing.  
> 2) I can hammer out 1-2k words in a couple days easily once I get off work. This makes it easier for me to keep motivated and actively publishing. It also allows me to make lots of updates in a shorter time frame. 5k+ words, however, takes me up to a week and I tend to lose motivation faster. Particularly if I hit a block for any reason.
> 
> So, for now at least, the chapters will stay shorter so that I can keep posting frequently and so that I can keep things going. (My brain works weird and I've long since accepted this.)
> 
> Also, I apologize for any spelling and grammatical errors. My spell check does its best, but it's not perfect. I have mild dyslexia so I have a hard time catching spelling errors.

“ _I don’t get it!_ ” Green dug his fingers into his scalp in frustration as he glared at the notes scattered around the table. Davies gave a quick pat on the shoulder as he made his way to the coffee pot. Green just groaned and massaged his temples as he looked for something - _anything_ \- that could help him make sense of this particular conundrum. “I just- Nothing works! I’ve tried to be nice, I’ve tried to be forceful, and I’ve tried beating him into submission. Nothing’s working and now he’s more belligerent than ever!”

Davies listened as he poured himself a mug of coffee. Once Green was finished complaining, he moved to stand behind the doctor’s chair and glanced down at the papers that covered the entire table. “Have you considered that punishment isn’t going to work?” he asked.

“Of course not!” Green snapped, smacking the table with a hand. “Punishment maintains order! We follow the rules because we don’t want to experience anything unpleasant, which would be the punishment. Without punishment, there would be chaos!”

Once again, Davies listened as Green ranted until finally the doctor finished with heavy breathing and a frustrated groan. Once certain that he had the floor again, he said, “But Arthur’s a downer. Downer’s aren’t like us Wellies.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” Davies paused to take a sip of his coffee and gather his thoughts. “The other bobbies and I have talked about downers before and we all agree that they aren’t really, you know, _human._ ” He paused again, to take another sip. Green, however, shifted in his seat to give the officer a confused look. Davies quickly explained. “Look, proper, decent folk take their Joy and stay out of trouble. They smile, maintain polite chit-chat, and are friends with everyone. Downers don’t. They’re aggressive, try to bring everyone down, and behave like animals!

“Arthur is a downer. He doesn’t always act like one, but he is. And his recent behavior is definitely not how people act. In fact, I'd say he's behaving more like a wild animal than any of the downers I've met!” He paused again to let the words sink in before he finished with, “Animals don’t respond well to punishment. In fact, they’re more likely to get aggressive or just perform the bad behavior when they’re less likely to get caught. If you want to train an animal, you don’t punish them. You reward them for good behavior.”

Green considered for a moment before he turned and grabbed an empty sheet of paper. He scribbled furiously while Davies stepped back to the sink and leaned against the counter to continue drinking. They remained in a comfortable silence until Green finally stopped writing and gave his new notes a quick once-over. Satisfied, he said, “We’ll need a proper motivator. What would you suggest?”

“Personally? Food. Something that’s hard to come by, but not too hard. We don’t want him to have easy access to it once he’s up and moving around again.”

“True. What should we use?” The doctor tapped his pen against the table for a moment before his split into a wide grin. “I’ve got it!” He ripped a sheet of paper out of his notebook and scribbled a note across it. Once finished, he folded it in half and handed it over to Davies with the instruction, “Give this to Peters. He’ll know what to do.”

Davies took the note with a cheerful, “Anything for you, love,” and set his mug down before setting out.

\---(ಠ_ಠ)---

Arthur twisted his head sharply and glared at the doctor. They were acting different and that only raised his suspicion. Sure, it was nice that the doctor wasn’t manhandling him and the bobby was being careful to hold him without hurting him for a change, but this only suggested to him that they were likely to work together to give him a punishment even worse than anything the doctor had done to him by this point. He nervously rubbed his thumb over the bandages that held the two middle fingers of his right hand together to help heal the broken bone. He didn’t need new bruises on top of what he already had.

The bobby grabbed his chin and twisted so that he faced the doctor. “Let’s just get this over with,” the doctor huffed as he began to pry Arthur’s mouth open. With the threat of an even worse beating looming over him, he didn’t fight. He did, however, managed to grab the doctor’s finger and gave a hard shake before the bobby stuck several fingers in his mouth and pried his teeth open. The doctor took the opportunity to dump the little cup of medicine in Arthur’s mouth with a triumphant, “HAH!”

Arthur gagged and tried to slide down but the officer simply grabbed and hauled him back up. He finally swallowed and coughed unhappily. But it was finally over. They’d leave and he could go back to hiding under the bed.

Or they could pull out an ominous looking, foil wrapped lump.

Arthur squirmed as the doctor pulled a small brown square and leaned forward. “I was good!” Arthur yelped. “I only bit you once and it wasn’t that hard and I shouldn’t have but I was good and I took it!” He was babbling and panicky because the bobby wasn’t letting go and he didn’t want whatever fresh, new hell the doctor was going to introduce to his life. But the babbled apology clearly wasn’t working so he had to step it up a notch.

So he started begging.

Or he would have if the doctor hadn’t waited until he’d opened his mouth and popped the little square into his mouth and watched for his reaction. Arthur managed to scream, “I’m sorry!” and kicked hard. His mouth opened with the intention of spitting the foreign object out when the officer reached inside and pressed the little square against the top of his tongue.

He gagged and howled and tried to dislodge the fingers from his mouth but nothing worked and he finally went limp and waited. Nothing immediately happened, though the officer did angle his hand so that he wouldn’t impede Arthur’s heavy breathing. After a few seconds, Arthur began to realize that there was a conflicting taste in his mouth and the little square being pressed into his tongue was melting.

It was bitter. Not overwhelmingly so, but it offered something to compete against the flavor of the remnants of the sludge in his mouth. It actually wasn’t all that unpleasant. Sweater would have been nicer, but Arthur wasn’t about to start complaining. It was infinitely better than anything he’d been fed since he came off Joy.

It was also oddly familiar. Like an almost forgotten memory: right on the tip of his tongue (metaphorically speaking) but he couldn’t quite remember. Wait a minute… Was that…?

No.

It couldn’t be!

He hadn’t had chocolate since the Germans came! Probably before, actually, but he couldn’t quite remember that far back. Sure, there was chocolate flavored Joy, but it just wasn’t the same as actual, fresh chocolate.

“Very good,” Davies cooed, interrupting Arthur’s thoughts on the matter. “Did you like that?” Arthur gave a hesitant nod and the officer removed his fingers. “Splendid! Hear that, Dr. Green? He likes it!”

Green nodded with a smile that sent shivers up Arthur’s spine. “I’ll have to let the others know. Thank you for your invaluable help, Davies.” With that, the doctor grabbed the medicine bottle and left the room.

The bobby, however, remained. Granted, he unwrapped himself so that Arthur was free to move about, but he was still in the bed and that drove Arthur up the walls. “What do you want?” he snapped in the hope that the officer would get the hint and leave.

He didn’t.

Even worse, the bobby leaned back and reclined in Arthur’s bed.

Arthur ground his teeth together and had to keep himself from saying something that would get him into trouble. He made to crawl over the officer’s legs to relax by the pillows only to have his arm tugged out from under him, causing him to collapse on top of the officer’s stomach.

“What makes you so different?” Davies asked as he cupped Arthur’s chin in his hands. “Why _you?_ Why not literally _anyone_ else?”

Arthur held still and knit his brows together. This didn’t make any sense. “Have you… Did you take your Joy, constable?”

“Of course!” The officer smiled down at him but Arthur wasn’t entirely convinced. Then again, he had noticed the doctor and the constable having to pop extra Joy after dealing with him… Maybe he was just running low, so to speak?

Several minutes passed in silence with Davies running a thumb along his chin and Arthur just glaring back. Finally, his head was released and Arthur once again made an attempt to get off, only to find that his limbs weren’t responding properly. His arm was too weak to push him up and he vaguely flopped around for a moment before going still.

“I can’t…” he whispered as realizon finally began to sink in. Davies gave a soft “Hm?” but Arthur ignored him. He tried to at least prop himself up on his elbow but only succeeded lazily slapping the mattress. Even that little movement had been a chore. His breathing hitched in panic. “Why? Can’t move.” Had talking always been this difficult? His lips were tingling and his tongue felt swollen and heavy.

He tried to get up again, only to find that his arm wouldn’t move beyond a vague twitch. Had the medicine changed? He knew it was a new bottle, but this didn’t make sense! The dose hadn’t changed. Well, no, that wasn’t entirely true. There had been a little more than usual and he’d actually swallowed it all without spitting any out, but it still shouldn’t have created such a response!

“Shhh, it’s okay Mr. Hastings.” The officer moved his head so he could breathe easier and he gasped for air. Even with the new angle, it was hard to breathe. Arthur choked out a sob and Davies began to massage his scalp in an effort to calm him down. Was he dying? But he’d gone along with them this time! He’d even kept his resistance to a minimum just in case.

“‘M sc’red,” Arthur slurred.

“It’ll be alright,” Davies replied. “Miss Boyle warned me this might happen. Said to keep you calm and relaxed until it kicked in properly.”

He didn’t calm down. He sobbed, coughed, and gasped for air until he eventually fell asleep. The whole time, Davies massaged his scalp and periodically checked Arthur’s pulse just in case, and continued to do so well after he fell asleep. Even when he was satisfied that Arthur was in no immediate danger, Davies made no effort to move but kept a hand next to Arthur’s mouth to keep track of his breathing and to feel for any changes.

Sure, Miss Boyle had assured him that the new recipe would be more effective and that the chances of anything going wrong were incredibly small, but she did warn him that some of the ingredients that had been requested would cause a strong negative reaction in Joy users and, while she had no idea who it was for or why she specifically had been requested for this product, she warned him that he would need to be very careful.

Just in case anything did go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Why is Green always angry? Isn't he supposed to be on Joy like everyone else?"
> 
> Look, he's in the privacy of his own home. He's free to take his mask off and be as cranky as he wants to be. Besides, he's dealing with Arthur. Arthur makes people want to take extra Joy when he's feeling cranky himself.


	5. Mistakes were Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Arthur comes to a frightening realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a slight deviation from my initial plans (mainly because I'm an asshole and I'm honestly more surprised that Arthur hasn't already developed some form of Stockholm syndrome, though that's probably from sheer stubbornness). But have no fear! We'll get back on track soon enough! Just gonna extend things for a few chapters.
> 
> And satisfy my need for hurt/comfort here in just a few. >:3

Arthur blinked at the wall, practically vibrating with nervous tension. Today was the first day of the doctor’s business trip. Green would be gone for an entire week and Arthur would be alone with Davies. He’d accidentally overheard the plan during the night when Green had come in to chat with Davies. For whatever reason, Arthur had woken up in the middle but had managed to feign sleep while they talked. (He’d fallen asleep again shortly after, but that was beside the point.)

He couldn’t wait any longer. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had landed square in his lap. He _had_ to take it! But he also had to be very, very careful. If he wasn’t, Davies would wake up and he’d be right back to square one.

Moving slowly, Arthur sat up carefully and looked over. Davies was still asleep, head pointed away from him and limbs skewed awkwardly. Extra care had to be taken to prevent the bed from moving and making too much noise. With a deep breath, he maneuvered his legs over the side and slowly slid out of the bed.

One leg held all of his weight for fear that his right would give out again. Gently, he shifted some weight onto his left to see what would happen. Dull pain shot through his hip, but he remained upright. Okay, so he could stand. Now, could he walk?

He took a step and immediately regretted it. His leg didn’t give out, but he had to bite back a curse as the pain turned sharp. He could walk, but it was going to be slow going. But he could walk! He was no longer stuck in the bed out of sheer necessity. To be safe, he glanced back at the officer and was satisfied to see him still asleep.

Arthur took a deep breath and began the trek to the door. Every step hurt, but the pain wasn’t unbearable. His limp was bad, too. He would have to be extra careful. If anything went wrong, he wouldn’t be able to run away. He reached the door, held his breath, and opened it.

It swung open silently and he sighed in relief.

There was a shift from behind and he twisted sharply. Davies had rolled over but was otherwise still. Even so, Arthur stared and listened. He had to be sure the man was still asleep.

Nothing happened. Davies’ remained slow and even. Arthur was safe.

Even so, Arthur pulled the door behind him but didn’t shut it all the way to prevent the latch from clicking and alerting to his presence. If he had a key, he could have locked it from the outside. He would just have to make do.

Satisfied that he wasn’t in immediate danger, Arthur turned to focus on his next challenge: stairs. He cursed whatever god was laughing at his plight, because _of course there’d be stairs_ between him and freedom! Even worse, the banister only reached _halfway up the stairs_. Why would someone make a handrail for stairs that only went halfway up?!

Arthur bit back a snarl and settled for an angry huff. Okay, he could do this, but he was going to have to throw out his dignity for a few minutes. A quick glance through the cracked door showed Constable Davies still asleep. Perfect.

He lowered himself carefully until he was seated at the top of the stairs. The pain in his hip eased as the pressure was removed and he released a soft sigh. The stairs just got much easier. Now for the interesting part: going down.

The first step was tricky. Arthur had to figure out how to best angle his body so that he could slide down to the next step while simultaneously keeping his footing (and not falling all the way down) and not using his left leg at all. The second and third steps took a bit of finagling, but by the sixth stair he had it down and the trip was smoother. Slow going, but smooth.

The stairs took entirely too long for his liking, but Arthur finally found himself at the base where he pulling himself back to his feet. For several long seconds, he strained his hearing for any sign of movement upstairs. The bed didn’t so much as creak and he knew he was safe. Now, the door.

The door was exactly where it should have been: at the entrance three feet from the landing. He was practically vibrating with nervous tension. He was so close he could _taste the freedom_ and it tasted like… like… Well, the best thing he could think of was Joy and the happiness it brought. Not ideal, but it would work.

He was rambling again.

Arthur shook his head to focus his thoughts and limped over to the door. He grabbed the handle to open the door and froze. His mask! A quick pat down revealed what he already knew. He didn’t have time to go looking for it. It could be anywhere, and that was assuming it hadn’t been destroyed in an attempt to keep him hidden away. He’d already wasted enough time with the bloody stairs!

Wait!

He pressed his fingers into the bruise Green had left on his face the day before and flinched. He could use this. He’d lost his mask. No, it had been broken! By… By… By the Plough Boys! Everyone knew how troublesome the group was.

Great! With a story in place, Arthur swung the door open and stepped out. The door clicked shut behind him as he plastered on a wide smile and looked out.

The sun was bright! And real! Not that faded, soft light from the room that never saw the light of day. Okay, so it was a little overcast, but the sun was _real_ and it was shining _on his face_. His forced gin widened into a wide, genuine smile.

Arthur took a deep breath of fresh air, ignoring the protesting of his ribs, and took a careful step forward. Of course he forgot about the step up and ended up falling to his hands and knees, but he quickly picked himself up and took a look around. Seemed no one had noticed his tumble. Good, good.

Okay. First things first: new mask. A task easier said than done, mainly because he couldn’t remember how on Earth he was supposed to secure a new one. He vaguely remembered a shop where one could get custom masks made for their face. Much better than a generic mask. But where was the shop even located?

Actually, better question: Where was _he?!_

Arthur started off in a random direction with the hope that he would find some kind of landmark that he could use to direct himself. It didn’t even matter that he didn’t know where the store actually was. So long as he could get in to the general vicinity, he’d be fine.

“Hey! You!”

Arthur turned in search of the voice and found an angry young man stomping over. He tensed and widened his smile nervously. “Top of the morning! Can I help you?” he asked cheerfully. Was everyone staring at him or was that just his paranoia? And when had so many people gathered? Why did he have to get himself wrapped up in his head all the time? Stupid. Stupid!

The man marched up and jabbed a finger into Arthur’s chest and snapped, “What happened to your mask?”

“The Plough Boys happened!” Arthur let out a small laugh while the man eyed him suspiciously. “I was just back that-a-way,” he gestured vaguely in the direction he’d come from, “when i was pulled into an alley. Very unfortunate, really. Knocked my mask off when they beat me. Hurt my leg in the process. I hope they didn’t break it, but I can still walk so it must not be that bad.” He laughed again, as if he hadn’t just escaped from one level of hell into another.

The young man bought it, hook line and sinker. His expression softened and he said, “Oh dear, that’s truly unfortunate! Though Plough Boys are a rough sort. You should get yourself a new mask. Wouldn’t want to be mistaken for a downer, now!”

“Oh, absolutely! I was actually just looking for a shop, but I can’t seem to remember where it was…” Arthur trailed off thoughtfully and tapped his chin. What was the shopkeeper’s name again?

“I’ve got just the thing!” The man grabbed his left arm and Arthur had to bite back a pained yelp. He managed to disguise it as a cough and limped along as best he could. Thankfully, the man got the hint quickly and slowed down without being asked. Arthur made small talk and threw out cheerful greetings every time someone so much as looked at him.

Most of the Wellies gave him curious or suspicious looks, which wasn’t all that surprising. Without his mask he stood out like a sore thumb so he made sure to be particularly cheerful. Despite the suspicion, it worked. Each greeting combined with his smiling guide seemed to ease the tension and everyone was quick to return the greeting and go about their business. Periodically someone would stop them and demand an explanation or some idle chit-chat, but Arthur just continued right on smiling.

Being out and about, there really wasn’t much that could bring his mood down!

Until a bobby approached and cheerfully asked, “Well, well, what’s going on here?”

“Seems he had a run-in with the Plough Boys,” the man, Henry, said. Arthur offered a shrug and nodded, but regarded the bobby with caution. The bobby did the same, gave Arthur a hard look before straightening up.

“Then I suppose you won’t mind if I take you to get a new one?”

“Oh, would you?” Arthur exclaimed. He pulled out of Henry’s hold and clapped his hands together. “That would be wonderful! Henry here was just taking me, but I feel so bad dragging him around. I hate to be a burden, but I just can’t seem to remember where the store is. You know how it is.” He shared a laugh with the Bobby. A few more pleasantries were exchanged until Henry was certain that he wasn’t needed and left.

“Off we go, then!”

“Ah! Wait!” The bobby turned back with a raised brow and an ‘a-ha!’ expression. “I’m terribly sorry but could we go slow?” Arthur asked. The bobby frowned in surprise and Arthur explained, “I hurt my leg pretty badly, so I can’t really manage a cheerful stroll, even. Nasty business, really, but walking is really difficult right now.” He tilted his head down a bit and looked up, an old tactic that he’d learned as a child that authority figures always seemed to enjoy.

The bobby simply smiled and started walking. Even with his slowed pace, his long strides had him well ahead of Arthur on no time. Once he noticed, he turned around to see Arthur hobbling along as best he could. He had his hand pressed into his hip to try and relieve some of the pain and each step was clearly painful, judging by the grimace that crossed his face with each step.

And yet he kept right on smiling and waving as if he wasn’t about to collapse in the middle of the street.

Arthur finally caught up with a cheery, “Thank you!” and they resumed their trek. This time, the officer made sure to match his pace. Arthur, however, carefully stayed half a pace behind; another trait he’d learned at a young age. Adults always preferred to stay ahead. Made them seem like they were in control of whatever situation, even when they weren’t.

As they walked, Arthur took in his surroundings. The other Wellies had relaxed considerably since he’d started chatting with the officer to the point where he no longer needed to greet everyone. He still threw a few enthusiastic greetings around, but he no longer tried to greet everyone he saw. The other officers, however…

There was something going on.

Every bobby he passed would approach him and give the officer he was with a _look_. He couldn’t really describe it, but there was definitely an unspoken question-answer thing going on. Whatever it was, though, they always seemed to be satisfied with whatever they got and would leave with a cheery, “Lovely day for it!”

Even as they left, he could feel their eyes boring into him. Every exchange left him more and more nervous until he felt about ready to fall apart. And the Joy doctors!

Hnnnng, the Joy doctors!

Every single one would stare at him with that twisted smile. Even worse, they all looked the same! Which wasn’t so bad, except they all looked like Dr. Green and he couldn’t shake the sudden fear that one of them might _be_ Green and then he’d be dragged back to his prison!

Or worse…

But he had to be careful. He couldn’t blow his cover now, so he just played along and avoided eye contact with any doctors they passed. Thankfully, there weren’t too many about and they reached the shop without any incidents.

“Here we are,” the officer said as he held the door open. Arthur stepped inside and looked around. Masks were everywhere. In display cases, hanging from the ceiling, and mounted on the walls. The white masks stood out against the vile pink of the walls and Arthur found himself reflexively gagging. Once again, he hid the reaction behind a cough and made his way to the counter while a bobby dressed in red hurried over the bobby in the doorway.

Arthur ignored the hushed whispers behind him as knocked on the counter to catch the shopkeep’s attention. The woman took one look at him and brightened up. “You must be here for a new mask! Oh wonderful!” Before he could reply, she rushed out from behind the counter and grabbed his arm. “Sit down! Sit down! Get comfortable and let’s see what we can do.”

Arthur dropped into a chair and smiled uncertainly up at her. She proceeded to chatter away at him while she took measurements, ran her fingers over every inch of his face (though she did apologize when she pressed into his bruise, causing him to flinch back sharply), and finally told him to “Wait right there” as she rushed into the back. She returned moments later with a pristine mask and freshly gloved hands.

“This is still warm,” she warned him. “I’ll need you to close yours eyes and hold still.” Once his eyes were closed, she placed the mask on his face and began smoothing it out. Just as she’d said, it was still quite warm. Almost uncomfortable, but not quite. He maintained a bland smile as she worked the mask to fit his features until, finally, she stood back. “There we go! You’re good to go!”

He opened his eyes and grinned back at here. “Thank you so much. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to work with me so suddenly.” She stepped back to let him stand up and waved him off.

“Nonsense! Not many people need emergency masks anymore. Mostly everyone just comes by when their old masks wear out or they don’t want something so generic anymore. And don’t worry about payment,” she said as he reached for his pocket. “I’ve been looking for a face like yours for ages to try out my new line! Just tell people you were at ‘Holly’s Boutique’ and we’ll call it even.”

Arthur sighed in relief because he’d realized only seconds after she’d finished that he hadn’t actually brought any money with him. Alright, task one complete. Now he wouldn’t be under the intense scrutiny of everyone. Now he could actually go about wherever he wanted!

Except home. He couldn’t risk blowing his cover, and the officers and doctors were clearly interested in him. Speaking of which… Arthur turned to the entrance to find that the red bobby had returned to his station and the other bobby was nowhere to be seen. Good! He could now wander about as he pleased.

With a final goodbye to the shopkeeper, Arthur left and began to explore. He had no real destination in mind. More importantly, he wanted to soak in as much sunlight and fresh air as he could before he had to worry about breaking into a home for the night (or just sleeping in the grass just outside the city). He took his time and walked carefully to ease the hurt. Periodically he’d find a bench in a patch of sunlight and just sit and relax.

The officers and doctors still watched, but it had become more subtle. Less concerned and more… How should he put it? Curious? Casual? Like seeing a particularly odd looking leaf. Interesting but ultimately unimportant.

As the sun began to set, though, a new problem arose. Hours had passed since Arthur had last been dosed and his body was becoming more and more insistent that he remember that fact. Old aches and pains that he’d forgotten were beginning to resurface and walking was becoming more and more difficult with each passing hour. He found himself having to stop more frequently and sitting for longer stretches. He was rapidly reaching the limits of his pain threshold and beginning to wonder if, perhaps, he should have thought this through more carefully.

Actually, no. He didn’t wonder, he _knew_. The whole scheme had been a last minute, panicky attempt at freedom. It had worked, of course, but it had been unplanned, impulsive, and _incredibly_ stupid. If he’d taken the time to actually _think_ , he could have gone looking for the medicine so that he could have it. Then, once evening fell and everyone was headed to their respective homes, he could have vanished into the crowds and hidden away somewhere to dose himself.

Not that he wanted to.

Just thinking about the medicine made him gag and he covered his mouth to hide the reaction. No, he was better off like this. It would hurt for a while, but he would just have to be more careful and take it easy for a while. Maybe he could hoard food away while he healed? No, that wouldn't work. The blight would rot everything before he could eat it. Or not. The Parade district didn’t seem to have any shortage of food, from what he remembered.

Arthur sighed as he stopped in a patch of sunlight and closed his eyes. His body relaxed and let himself stop thinking for a blissful moment. The light was fading and already people were beginning to discuss heading home. There was still time, though, and he was determined to soak in every last degree of natural warmth that he could before heading off in search of somewhere to sleep.

“HEY!”

Arthur snapped his eyes open and jumped at the voice. A smile instinctively slid into place and he was ready to turn and offer a cheerful greeting to whoever had called out. He didn’t get the opportunity.

Large hands spun him around roughly and grabbed fistfulls of shirt. “ _WHAT_ DO YOU THINK YOU’RE _DOING_ OUT HERE?!” the Joy doctor bellow, shaking Arthur with every couple of words. Out of the corner of his vision, Arthur saw a crowd forming. He tried desperately to catch his footing as the doctor shook him and held him just high enough that he couldn’t stand easily.

The final shake was particularly rough and Arthur stepped wrong. He felt something shift and a sharp pain ripped up his spine. He gave a yell and collapsed. The sudden dead weight caught the doctor by surprise and he hauled Arthur up until his toes only barely touched the ground.

His breathing hitched in panic. Suddenly, Arthur was no long in the middle of the street. He was back in the bed, Green standing over him with a sadistic grin and empty promises on his lips. _Why won’t you just behave?_

“No!”

_I can do whatever I want provided you don’t die._

He couldn’t breathe. He had to get away. He had to be _literally anywhere else!_

There was a sound of something hard striking something large, muffling yelling in the background, and Arthur hit the ground hard. He screamed and clawed at his leg until his brain finally registered that he was loose. His vision flickered between the street and the bedroom.

He had to get out. Had to get away. Somewhere. Anywhere!

His leg protested but he ignored it. Blind panic drove him forward and he managed to pull himself up enough to start running. Someone called after him. More people yelled. Arthur didn’t care. He just had to get away.

Why had he even left? He had been safe in the room. Safe, protected, well-fed…

No.

That was wrong.

 _Davies_ had kept him safe and well-fed. Green had beaten him and force-fed him an awful concoction of pain and suffering that left him helpless. Davies stayed by his side every time he woke up screaming.

Why had he left Davies’ side?

A hand grabbed his left wrist and _pulled_. Arthur fell with a cry and began clawing blindly at the officer holding on to him. When that didn’t work, he started screaming.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Let go! Get off!” Maybe they’d realize he was harmless and let him go. "You’re _hurting_ me! Let go!” It wasn’t working. The officer just dragged him closer as he struggling and flailed. With a sudden rush of panic, Arthur lunged forward, grabbed a handful of arm, and bit down as hard as he could. The offer let go with a yell and Arthur managed to stumble away until he collapsed.

Hands closed around his ankles and he thrashed. “DAVIES!” He stopped moving for a moment and he kicked out again. “SAVE ME! I’M SORRY!” An officer reached for him and he curled in on himself. “No more!” he begged, careful to roll onto his left side so that it would be at least somewhat protected. His left hand covered his face while his right arm tried to cover as much of his head and neck as he could. “No more! Please, no more!” he sobbed. His muscles tightened and locked to keep himself curled as tight as possible. The tension would protect him just a little bit, though he would ultimately hurt worse.

His whole body trembled as he sobbed and begged. “No more. No more. Please, no more.” Over and over. A broken mantra for a broken man.

“Please, please, please, no more!”


	6. Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Arthur begins to develop an extreme case of codependency, Davies is possessive, and Sally finds herself faced with an impossible decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should probably have mentioned exactly where/when this story was taking place. This is a timeline divergent AU where things line up nicely up until Arthur met Sally for the first time. He made his way to the Parade distract but didn't know where she was and was also convinced that she was through with him, anyway. He then tried to find some alternative way through, and had spent about a year dithering about when the first chapter got started.
> 
> Everything after that is what you're reading now. >:3

Davies hummed softly to the music coming from the radio. One arm held Arthur against his side, though he really needn't bother. Arthur had been firmly attached the moment he had entered the room. The other officers in the room didn't matter; only Davies would do, apparently.

That simple fact filled him with joy. Arthur had called out for _him_! Not Green. Not any generic Bobby. Him. Davies. It should have taken much longer to get to this point.

Perhaps taming Arthur wouldn't be quite as difficult as Green had declared.

But there was still the troubling fact that Arthur had been hurt unnecessarily. Sure, he'd gotten loose earlier than expected, but Davies was under the impression that the other Joy doctors had been informed of the plan. Even more troubling was the fact that Arthur had managed to blend in to the crowd even without a mask. Clearly, taking his mask away as extra security to prevent his escape was not going to work. Not if he was going to convince someone to take him off to get a new one.

Arthur needed a mark. Something to show that he was harmless. That he wasn't just some stray wandering about, but that he had someone he belonged to already. Couldn't risk having some other misinformed ne're-do-well trying to scoop Arthur off the streets like before.

Something to make him stand out a little, too. But not in a bad way. Just something to make him easier to spot for observation...

Oh, of course! What did one normally do to show ownership of a pet? Such a simple solution. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier?

"Arthur?" Davies sat up slowly. It wasn't too difficult considering Arthur was mostly tangled around his waist and legs, but the movement still managed to disturb Arthur to some vague state of wakefulness.

If he could be called awake.

Arthur blinked slowly, but his gaze remained unfocused. Just as quickly as he'd woken up, he tucked his face against Davies' hip and promptly went back to sleep.

As loath as he was to do it, Davies gave Arthur a gentle shake before beginning to carefully extricate himself from the mess of sheets and limbs. Again, it wasn't a difficult task. Arthur made some unhappy noises but ultimately didn't resist. Seemed he was okay so long as the officer was nearby.

Which meant actually leaving the room was going to be a whole different can of worms. Davies' had expected the worst of his problems to be getting out of the bed so he was utterly unprepared for the sheer panic in Arthur's voice when he opened the door.

"Wait!" Davies turned to look back at Arthur who was seated upright, back straight, and pupils blown wide. "Don't go!"

With a sigh, he returned to the bed. Poor Arthur. Green would be absolutely furious once he heard the news. Months of work rendered pointless in less than a day. "Relax," he said soothingly as he cupped Arthur's face and rubbed his thumbs over those sharp cheekbones. He was careful not to irritate the bruise in the process, though. He wasn't particularly keen on being bitten. "I just have to run an errand. I'll be back before you know it. I'll even have someone watch over you until I get back. How does that sound?"

"Why can't you just get them to do it for you?" Arthur whined as he grabbed at Davies' uniform, but the constable stepped out of the way. Seeing as that wasn't going to work, he made to get up and said, "I can go with you!"

He didn't get more than one leg off the bed before Davies pushed him back down. "I know you're upset," he said as he continued to hold Arthur down, "but you're already hurt and you _need_ to rest before you hurt yourself further. Last I checked, you couldn't even stand, let alone walk anywhere."

Arthur stilled and huffed unhappily. _Fine!_ Curse Davies for using _logic_ and _reasoning_ against him. Davies let go once he was sure Arthur wouldn't try to hop up and smiled as Arthur curled up on the bed.

"I'll be right back," he said as he left the room. Arthur listened to the door click shut.

This wasn't so bad, really. Sure, he was in a lot of pain now that he was actually awake, but he was alive. That had to count for something, right? But how long would this last? He listened to Davies' retreating footsteps and tried to breathe slowly. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest and it took everything he had to not just crawl down the stairs.

Davies had asked him to wait, so he was going to be good and stay put.

Didn't mean he liked it.

Hate didn't even begin to describe how arthur felt about the whole situation. Made sense, though, if he thought about it. Every time Davies left, Arthur became vulnerable. Every time he'd ever been hurt, Davies hadn't been there to protect him. Since being taken in, he'd been beaten, choked, had two fingers broken, and his shoulder re-dislocated.

But always when Davies was out of the house. (Except for this most recent mess where Arthur had been out and Davies had been inside. Point was, they'd been separated.)

Arthur had no idea how long he lay on the bed, doing his best to ignore the warnings blaring in the back of his mind, when he heard the front door open and shut. Muffled voices drifted up the stairs and he cocked his head to listen better. Heavy footsteps began to ascend and Arthur sat up, excited. Davies was coming back!

And he had company.

Arthur hadn't noticed the second set of feet at first. Likely because the constable had a tendency to stop around. Or maybe the other person just walked really quietly. Either way, when Arthur finally noticed the second set of footsteps, they were already almost to the top. He wasted no time in throwing himself to the floor and scooting under the bed where he wouldn't be immediately noticed.

Just in time, too. No sooner had Arthur hidden himself away, than the door opened and two sets of feet walked in. One set Arthur recognized immediately as belonging to constable Davies. The other he didn't recognize, though he felt like he should have.

He watched as Davies approached the bed and stop. A sigh and then, "Please stop hiding under the bed, Arthur. At least try somewhere new, next time."

"Arthur?"

" _Sal-_ OW!" Arthur sat up, forgetting that he was under the bed until his head reminded him. "MMmmMMMmmmMMM!" Arthur grit his teeth as his eyes watered from the pain. He pressed his fingers into his scalp, partly to check for bleeding (there wasn't any) but mostly to protect himself from trying to do anything astoundingly stupid again.

Davies took the opportunity to grab Arthur’s belt and drug him out from under the bed. Arthur yelped and whined, desperately grabbing anything within reach. A determined bobby was no force to be reckoned with, however, and Arthur was at a distinct advantage already. It wasn’t long before Arthur was dropped unceremoniously on the bed with the command of, “Hold still.”

He held still just long enough for Davies to throw a measuring tape around his neck before he lunged and snapped. He was in no mood for messing about and he wanted the bobby to return to laying down with him and keeping him safe. It didn’t work. Once again, Davies stepped out of the way and Arthur was left to sulk alone.

“I’m leaving him in your care,” Davies said to Sally. “Just keep him in bed and everything’ll be fine. And if you breathe a word of this to anyone…” He didn’t have to finish the sentence. The unspoken threat was loud and clear and his expression, even behind his mask, was murderous.

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Sally and Arthur alone together.

\---ಠ益ಠ---

What on Earth had she gotten herself in to?

Sally had been surprised when Davies had called her, practically begging her to keep an eye on his new “pet” (though now she was seriously wondering just what type of relationship he and Arthur had) while he ran an important errand. She hadn’t really agreed so much as he had somehow talked her into a corner and forced her. Something about her own secrets making their way into the open.

She was certain he had no idea, but she simply _could not_ take that risk.

But out of everything she had expected to find, Arthur had not been one of them.

On the one hand Sally was genuinely glad to see him. He had run off so suddenly and their last meeting had been… less than ideal. On the other hand, she was still angry.

Only, not really. Or, at least, not right then.

Arthur was a mess. A massive bruise took over the majority of his left cheek, but judging by the color and lack of swelling, it was old. Several days, at least. His shirt was too large, likely belonging to the bobby from earlier. The top three buttons were either dangling loose or gone completely and the shirt had clearly been yanked around violently. The too large opening hung off his left shoulder, showing more dark bruising and swelling. And… were those finger marks around his neck?

She felt sick. Arthur may have been an ass, but he didn’t deserve this. No one did. (Well, no. She could think of a few people…)

Without thinking, Sally approached him and reached out to touch the bruise on his face. He practically threw himself on his back to get away, lips curled back and mouth open in a loud snarl. An unspoken warning of what he was more than willing to do should she get too close. She took the hint and quickly pulled back.

Okay. New plan.

“Does that hurt?” she asked, touching her face where his bruise would have been mirrored. He closed his mouth but kept his lips curled back as he reached up to brush his own face.

His expression turned quizzical until he pressed too hard and flinched. “A little.” He struggled to sit up again and Sally noticed that he moved carefully. He didn’t use his left arm at all and his ribs were clearly giving him problems.

As Arthur worked on sitting up, Sally dropped herself into the seat by the bed and dug through her purse. By the time he was catching his breath, she had found the little bottle of healing balm and held it out for him. “Here,” she said with a small smile. “It’s pretty effective for healing bruises and relieving pain. It’s not much, but it’s got to be better than nothing.”

He eyed her suspiciously but made no move to grab the bottle. He pressed his hands into his ribs and winced as he pressed. He was clearly in pain, so why didn’t he just take it? Did he not believe that she was trying to help? Did he think she was trying to trick him?

Did he think she was going to _hurt_ him?!

Just how much abuse had he suffered since she’d seen him last? She felt sick again. The bottle was placed in her lap and she stared down at it. They sat in silence for several minutes, Arthur breathing heavily and Sally just staring at nothing.

“Why did you leave?” She looked up in time to see Arthur look away. He looked… guilty? Confused? She couldn’t quite tell. Either way, he didn’t answer her question. “Arthur?”

“I can’t remember.” He curled in on himself and stared at the door.

Anger flared and her words were more biting than she meant them to be. “Can’t? Or won’t?” She winced and sighed. “I’m sorry, Arthur. Things have been… _rough_ recently. I wish I could have helped you. I should have made you stay with me. We could have talked and figured something out. I don’t know.”

He still wouldn’t look at her, but he offered a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s okay. Davies is taking care of me now.”

“We can still leave. Together.” Now she had his attention. “I can get us a travel pass. We can leave when you’re feeling better and no one will catch us!”

He looked torn, like he desperately wanted to leave. But then he looked over at the door and said, “But Davies…”

She couldn’t help it. “What about him?” she snapped as she jumped up. “Why would you want to stay? He obviously hurt you! And he’ll keep hurting you for as long as you stay here!”

“He won’t!” Arthur shrieked, and Sally couldn’t tell if he genuinely believed that or if he was just so desperate that it _had_ to be true. “He _saved_ me! Dr. Green _never_ hurt me as long as he was here!” He tried to stand up and very nearly fell over. He leaned against the bed for balance and kept his left leg foot only barely touching the floor.

“If I leave, it’ll happen again. I can’t! I can’t. I-I-I just can’t. Not again. No more.” He was crying, ugly heaving sobs broken by desperate pleas of “No more” and “I can’t” and she couldn’t take it anymore.

Before he could try to pull away again, Sally grabbed him in a fierce hug. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “You didn’t deserve this. I’m so, so sorry.” They clung to each other desperately until Arthur finally began to sag in Sally’s arms. She guided him gently onto the bed and crawled in with him.

“Is everything okay?” Sally almost sat up with a start, But Arthur had managed to wrap himself around her securely so she couldn’t do more than prop herself up on an elbow. Davies smiled pleasantly at her, but she could feel the angry (jealous?) glare behind the calm facade.

“He missed you,” she said, offering a pleasantly bland smile of her own. She used a sheet to wipe her face before the bobby could see that she had been crying and gently untangled herself from Arthur. A process made infinitely easier when Davies crawled into the bed and grabbed Arthur in a hug. “He claims you protect him.” The hostility directed toward her seemed to soften and she allowed herself to relax somewhat. “Since you’re back, I’ll return home. I’ve got to resume working. But…”

Davies looked at her and cocked his head. “Yes?”

“Would it be okay if I came back? He seems terribly lonely and I imagine you can’t stay with him _all_ the time, even if you want to.” She smiled wide at him as she offered, “I know a little about physical therapy. I can help him recover faster. Maybe he can join you on your patrols.”

Davies lit up like a child on Christmas. “If you can help him, then absolutely! We’ll discuss more later.” He started running his hand through Arthur’s hair. Sally spared a quick glance at him to see him staring upward at nothing. Too much stress all at once.

“Then I look forward to hearing from you.” Davies gave a lazy wave as she left. Once she’d returned to her own home, she finally allowed herself to relax. She made her way upstairs and picked up Gwen from the crib. She was going to have to be extra careful if she intended to extend her stay, but she couldn’t just leave Arthur behind.

Could she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhhhh every time I write I find myself thinking "man, a lot of this could be taken as being sweet and romantic and it really, REALLY isn't" and I just want everyone to know that, AT THIS POINT there is no shipping happening. I know people can be really picky about that and also it just doesn't make sense right now. So, apologies if you're here for the "good stuff" but that's not happening for a loooooong time.


	7. A Little Less Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Arthur wonders why he even bothers to get out of bed anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll be happy to know that this took so long because this is yet another longer chapter! :D
> 
> Also, apologies if the second scene change feels abrupt. I lost interest in the chapter when I lost half my work and then forgot it so that I couldn't easily rewrite it. Also, I wanted to skip ahead to the part that I actually wanted to write! Woo!

"You collared him?" Arthur glanced at Green who had just walked into the kitchen and now wore an expression that Arthur could only describe as confused dismay. Indeed, a thick leather collar was secured around his neck (by a custom locking contraption that was light enough to not bother him, but hidden so that he couldn't actually slip out). Two military style tags dangled from the front, but Arthur hadn't been able to read them no matter what he tried. Not that he'd tried very hard. Mostly he was just frustrated by the fact that Davies had collared him like a... a... a common dog!

He wasn't a dog, damnit!

Davies, meanwhile, looked pleased with himself. "I had it custom designed for him. Gorgeous piece of work. Wouldn't you agree?"

Green leaned close to get a better look and chuckled as Arthur tried to lean away. Indeed, the leather was stamped and intricate designs had been carved with care. And now that he was really looking, he could see the edge of satin that lined the inside for extra comfort.

An expensive gift for a mere science experiment.

"A bit much, don't you think?" Green sneered. Arthur shrugged as he resumed picking apart his sandwich to check for any signs of blight.

Davies, however, watched the interaction with a raised brow as he sipped at his tea. As usual, he had his back leaned against the counter and a bland smile in place. He waited a moment to assess the situation before he finally said, "Are you jealous?"

"Why on Earth would I be jealous of a bloody downer?"

"You are!" Davies' lips split into a wide grin and he set the mug of tea on the counter next to him. "Oh, Green! You have nothing to worry about," he said as he pulled the doctor close until they were touching noses. "You only had to speak up and I would have happily spoiled you rotten with attention."

"I know. I know." Green gave an irritated huff and leaned into the officer's chest. Davies wrapped him in a loose hold and listened as he continued, "It's just, he was supposed to be _my_ project. Then you took an immediate liking to him and now he's practically glued to your side.

"And don't give me that look. _Everyone_ knows he's practically glued to your side." He paused, leaned back so that he could look Davies in the eyes, and hissed, "People are talking."

Davies laughed. Arthur jumped and threw himself onto the floor, covering his head and knocking the plate off in the process, and whimpered. Davies quickly muffled his laughter with his hand while Green ground his teeth. This was no laughing matter!

“What’s so funny?” Green snapped as he stomped over to where Arthur had been sitting seconds earlier. He had to admit, for a downer the lad had an impressive reaction time. Davies continued to chortle as he picked up the plate and glowered at the wasted food. “Can’t you do anything right?” he snapped at Arthur who flinched and watched with wide eyes, gaze darting between Green’s face and the plate in his hand.

“Be nice. Arthur’s been through a lot already,” Davies said as he snagged the plate out of Green’s hand and set it in the sink. To Arthur, he said, “Be more careful next time. We mustn’t waste food.” Arthur flinched as the offer reached over, but relaxed as his hair was ruffled. He wasn’t a dog, but he could get used to this kind of treatment. Much better than constantly having to watch his back every second.

Green, however, bristled at the treatment Arthur was getting and inhaled deeply through his nose. A sure sign that Joy was not going to be enough to help his mood this time. He didn’t get a chance to say anything, as Davies grabbed and dipped him almost to the floor. “Unhand me!” he snapped, but the officer merely laughed and twirled with him.

The rhythm was easy to catch. All the doctor had to do was listen to the cheerful tune emanating from the radio by the window and let Davies guide him around the floor. Odd how such a simple activity could brighten even the darkest of his moods, but he didn’t try to fight it. There was nothing to be gained from being angry, and judging by what he’d heard, Arthur deserved a break.

With a laugh of his own, Green finally joined the impromptu dance properly and took his rightful place as the lead. Davies’ smile widened and they continued to dance until the song finally came to an end as was replaced by Uncle Jack’s voice.

“If you’re so worried about what everyone thinks, why not give him someone to play with?” Davies said as he pressed his face into the doctor’s neck. Green laughed and tried to pull away as Davies’ breath tickled him, which only prompted the constable to lean in and blow a raspberry against the side of Green’s neck. They laughed while Davies alternated between tickling and kissing the doctor’s neck.

“Not here!” Green gasped when Davies started to slide a hand up the doctor’s shirt. “We’ve got…” His voice trailed off as he looked around and realized that Arthur wasn’t in the kitchen anymore. “Mr Hastings?”

Davies paled as he, too, scanned the room for any signs of life. “I swear to God if he got loose again-”

“Constable Davies!” Davies jumped and dug his nails into Green’s sides so hard he drew blood. Green yelped and shoved the constable off him, leaving several deep scratches behind, and hissed at the oozing wounds. Arthur had somehow managed to sneak up behind them, unnoticed and unheard and within their combined blind spot (made wider by distraction).

Green inspected his sides before he rounded on Arthur with a sharp, “If you’re going to wander about, then you’re going to wear a _bell_!”

\---(ง •̀_•́)ง---

“That… makes sense I guess?” Sally bit back her laugh but couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice. The explanation Arthur had provided did make sense, and from what she knew about Constable Davies it was a very good explanation for the oversized bell tied around Arthur’s neck by a wide, velvet (she assumed, Arthur wouldn’t let her touch it) choker that was tied into a large bow in the back.

Had she been anyone else, or had they not run into each other before, Sally would have said that the whole thing made Arthur look rather harmless. But she knew better, so she just chuckled at the story while Arthur pouted.

Davies had dropped him off earlier. Arthur swore up and down that Green wanted him out of the way for some “much needed physical contact” (which, alone, would have had Sally roaring with laughter, but the way he _waggled his eyebrows_ when he said it had her wheezing on the floor) even though Davies casually denied any such doings. Either way, they were in the lab where Sally could keep an eye on her latest batch of blackberry Joy while working with Arthur.

Arthur was leaned back against the center counter for balance and Sally as tucked next to him; one hand held onto the counter while the other was cupped under his left knee. “Lift a little higher,” she said as she watched his face for any signs of pain. He grimaced but complied. “Good. It seems to be healing nicely. Now relax and drop your leg.” Once again he obeyed, though this time Sally held his leg in the air. “Now hold still.”

Arthur did his best not to squirm as Sally knelt down and began to press her fingers into his hip and thigh. A low growl escaped as she found the knot of torn muscle and _hurt_ right around the hip joint itself. She gave a low hum and pressed the heel of her hand into where she assumed hurt the worst. This time Arthur snarled and very nearly shoved her away. He bit his hand instead until he bled.

Sally continued to press and squeeze until she was satisfied and lowered his leg back to the floor. “If it’s still hurting you this much, it may be broken,” she said softly as she watched for his reaction. “At the very least, it’s definitely fractured. You shouldn’t even be walking around. But you aren’t going to listen, are you?” He shook his head and she sighed. “Just be careful. Wait here, I’ve got to run upstairs real quick.”

Arthur didn’t get a chance to agree as Sally trotted out of the room and shut the door securely behind her. Not that he’d be going very far. His limp seemed to have gotten worse since she’d seen him last, likely from moving around too much. He was just as stubborn as she remembered.

To be honest, Arthur was doing much better emotionally than Sally had anticipated. He was stubborn to a fault and still blended in with the public. She hadn’t heard of him, after all, and yet he claimed to have been living in the Parade distract for a year. But he was also woefully dependant on constable Davis now. Word was already starting to spread about Davies’ new “pet” but it was all rumor and conjecture. Even so, Arthur was going to be the center of attention soon, whether he wanted to or not.

Sally checked on Gwen, who was fast asleep in the crib, and made her way back downstairs. No point waking Gwen now. Too much risk of getting found out whenever Davies returned. She opened the door to the lab and blinked at the aggressive ringing of a bell. What on Earth?

“Arthur?” The ringing stopped for a moment and then the bell chimed again as he pulled himself up to where she could see him. The ribbon had been untied and one end was in his hand. He gave another tug and the bell rang again, but the ribbon remained firmly attached to the collar. Sally chuckled at the odd sight and made her way over.

He watched her cautiously and went stiff as she grabbed the choker, but he didn’t pull away. She gave a light tug and frowned. The bell was in the way. Was the choker attached to the collar somehow? She pulled the bell as far to the side as she could to get a better look. “Sorry, Arthur, but this isn’t coming off,” she said softly. “The bell’s attached to the collar itself through a little slit in the ribbon here. This isn’t coming off until the bell comes off.

“And no, I’m not going to cut it off. I’m not going to give constable Davies a reason to keep you away from me.” Arthur shut his mouth with a huff and gave a final tug on the ribbon before he finally gave up. Right about then, the door chimed and Sally put on a smile and called, “Coming!” Not that anyone could actually hear her through the door.

\---༼´༎ຶ ༎ຶ༽---

_People were staring._ No matter how hard Arthur tried to ignore them, how wide he smiled, or even how many cheerful greetings he threw around, people continued to stare hard at him. All because of the stupid collar.

Though, it wasn’t all bad. Despite the attention, Arthur did notice that the collar garnered some particularly interesting responses from the doctors and the bobbies milling around. Within hours of Arthur leaving the house, the Joy doctors had begun avoiding him like the plague. They still watched him, of course. Just from a healthy distance.

The bobbies, on the other hand, went from casually interested in his existence to being incredibly touchy-feely and constantly invading his personal space. Arthur had begun to take side streets and keep an eye out for any passing bobbies just because he was tired of constantly being grabbed, hugged, and petted.

It wasn’t like he hated the attention. Quite the opposite, actually! Arthur was more than happy to be on the receiving end of gentle contact that wouldn’t result in collecting more bruises. He just hated the fact that it came with the understanding that he was a _pet_. Something less than human to be touched and picked up without permission.

I was _**infuriating!**_

Even worse, he _couldn’t do anything about it,_ because if anyone else caught him acting out he’d be slaughtered in a heartbeat. Joy, it seemed, only affected a person’s happiness levels but did nothing about their anger. Once someone was angry, no amount of Joy could calm them down. So he was forced to smile and act like everything was fine and dandy even though he wanted nothing less than to take off the hands of whoever tried to pet and call him a “good boy” next!

“Hello there!” Arthur was pulled out of his thoughts at the chipper voice and a wide instinctively slid into place. The woman was tall, about his height if he had to make a guess. And she was kind of cute. The energy in her eyes and genuine smile caught his attention first and reminded him of Sally when she was younger.

“Um, hello?” Arthur cocked his head as she leaned back and looked him over. Was she judging him?

Her eyes locked on to his collar and he could swear her gaze turned predatory. “I’m Valerie,” she said abruptly and stuck her hand out.

“Arthur Hastings,” Arthur said and grabbed her hand in a firm handshake. Her smile widened at that and she gave a nod.

“Firm handshake. Very nice.” She stepped forward, invading his space, and began to circle around him. Arthur leaned away from her and curled in on himself, his smile strained and nervous. “You should stand up straight,” she said as she pressed her fingertips into the small of his back. He arched away with a nervous whine, but she had already pulled away and resumed pacing around him. “You’ve got a bit of a limp, but not too bad. You’re stronger than you look.” She gave his bicep a quick squeeze and pulled away before he could react. “Yes. Yes! You’re perfect!”

“For what?” Arthur snapped, exasperated and stressed from the sudden scrutiny.

He was answered with an envelope thrust into his face. As he took it, Valerie said, “Come by tonight. I’ll be there from 9 ‘till they close. Bring your friends if you want, but I’ll show you a _much_ better time than any of _them_ can.” She flicked the bell on his collar as she strode past and he almost missed the casual wave she threw over her shoulder.

Arthur stared after her, mouth open and brain working overtime to figure out just what in the hell happened. And then it clicked. His mouth snapped shut and the color drained out of his face. She thought he… with constable Davies?! Oooh no no no! He had to get this collar off _**yesterday!**_

He looked down at the envelope in his hand for a moment before his lips thinned and he began to limp back home. Maybe he could keep it on long enough to see what Valerie had in mind. Who knew. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you interested in raunchy happenings, I am absolutely going to be writing some salacious chapters _because I feel like it_. However, I will NOT be posting them in this story because I want this to remain rated T. SO I'll be posting them separately for those of you who actually want to read some sex.
> 
> So, yeah. Keep an eye out for that.


	8. Quick Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author note. Delete later.

HEY GUYS! Apologies for the sudden lack of any and all updates! I got super duper ugly sick. As in, 100 degree fever within 24 hours, followed by a chest/double ear/sinus infection combo (I got just over 102 deg. before my fever finally broke). I'm only just not recovering enough that I can start writing again, but I'm still kind of hazy. I've got an idea that I want to post while I pull myself back together and then I'll resume updating again. Probably gonna be slow updates for a little while until I can get my feet back under me again. My biggest problem now is that I've been coughing so hard that I can't type and I'm on some really super heavy duty medications that are really messing me up.

I'll get back to updating soon. I just need to focus on getting my health back under control and throwing a couple new ideas out on paper so that I don't forget them. Thanks for understanding!


	9. AN: Quick Question

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I updated and I wanted to inform you, I haven't abandoned this story! :D I've had a nasty run-in with my health and had to go to the ER twice after my last note because I broke another rib and tore a muscle, had an endoscopy to be diagnosed with "screw this I'm out", and a whole host of issues. So, the usual. But that's not important. I'm here to ask you guys a question!

I've been thinking about this story a lot and realized that I actually want to fix the pacing a bit and put in some scenes earlier and change the direction just a little bit. This would require me to rewrite bits and pieces of the existing chapter and adding some new chapters near the beginning. I can do this two ways: I can either delete a bunch of the chapters here and reupload as I edit, or I can call this version "abandoned" and make a new, updated version for everyone to enjoy.

Which would you guys prefer? Rewrite the existing story or make a new story for the updated version?


	10. AN: THE REWRITE IS HERE!!!

It's here! At long last, I have begun rewriting the story to go the way I want it to! :D You can go read it over here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17447555/chapters/41082293 Still can't find it for whatever reason? The title is How to Train Your Downer and is "Part 3" of the Only a Little Broken series this this story is part of!

You'll likely recognize the first few chapters as having some or most of the bits cut/paste from the original story. That's because the first 2-3 chapters were really what I wanted to keep, while everything starts to go off the rails afterward. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading it just as much as I enjoy writing it! See y'all over there!


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